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Sunday, August 18, 2013

I actually can’t imagine what my life would be like without my car…I mean, I live in Mississauga for cryin’ out loud! But that certainly does not stop me from venturing downtown several times a week, eating at one restaurant after another. Even if I’m not downtown, you’ll find me eating somewhere in North York, up north in Markham and Richmond Hill or even all the way out east in Scarborough. Basically, I’ll go wherever there’s good food. Simple as that.

My 2003 Honda Civic Si-R

This wasn’t always the case. I remember back in the day, I used to take the Mississauga Transit and the TTC to school and work every day; didn’t matter if it was pouring rain or the middle of a snowstorm, I would diligently wait for the #26 bus to Islington station. Obviously, things have changed for the better ever since I got my little Civic. Although expensive downtown parking, crazy city traffic, construction and weekend road closures can all be such a drag, I still prefer driving over taking public transit ‘cause having a car makes eating at different restaurants a LOT easier – again, it’s all about the ability to access good food wherever it may be.

Road trip to the Kawartha's last month

My car is pretty much like my baby. I love it and that’s why I do my best to keep it in mint condition (i.e. frequent oil changes, tire changes, etc.) and when it comes to the type of gasoline, I always try to go for Shell gas; I was told by my friends a long time ago that it’s the best kind of gas to use. I didn’t really question this and sorta just accepted it since they know a lot more about cars than I do. So when I was offered the opportunity to learn more about Shell gas, I was all for it.

Jim Macias, Shell’s Technology Manager of North America Retail Fuels, spoke at a webinar last week with several bloggers in attendance. The following points are some of the major takeaways from the webinar that I think all car owners could really benefit from:

People are holding on to their cars longer than they used to: the average age of small vehicles rose from 8.5 years in 1995 to close to 11 years in 2013.

Engine technology is also changing rapidly: 1/5 of all North American-produced engines will be turbocharged or supercharged in the next two years, and the number of direct injection engines produced in North America will triple in the next four years.

Modern direct injection gasoline engines have fuel injectors that are exposed to higher temperatures (as they are located directly in the combustion chamber, see below), which exposes it to higher temperatures. This result is increased risk of carbon deposits on the intake valve, which will in turn reduce fuel flow and fuel economy.

This is why it is essential to use gasoline with high levels of gasoline additives, or cleaning agents, to ensure that your car’s engine runs well. Both the US and Canadian governments require a minimum level of cleaning agents to help control emissions. Some companies, such as Shell, use higher levels of cleaning agents, which can offer additional benefits, whereas a significant amount of gasoline sold in North America contains lower cleaning agents.

Shell V-Power® Premium Gasoline is Shell’s most advanced fuel - it has five times more cleaning agents than required by government standards. It has a unique technology, which cleans up gunk faster than Shell Regular grade gasoline, and can remove deposits left behind from lower quality gas with just one tank.

Auto manufacturers have established a higher standard than government regulation called “TOP TIER”. This certification is given to gasolines that help keep engines cleaner than those containing only the minimum “Lowest Additive Concentration” set by government standards - all three Grades of Shell Gasoline are Certified as TOP TIER.

To be honest, although I fill my car with Shell gas I always put in Shell Regular and never Shell V-Power® ‘cause according to the owner’s manual, my car doesn't require premium gas. Having said that, knowing that all three types of Shell gas are certified TOP TIER and are able to remove deposits reassures me that I’m treating my car well and who knows, I may fill in a tank of Shell V-Power® once in a while to give my engine a good clean ‘cause like I said before, I adore my car way too much… and I need my car to go eat...and blog :)

Disclosure and Disclaimer - This blog post was facilitated by Shell Canada Limited via Glam Media Canada. While each blog author received some information from Shell's Technology Manager of North America Retail Fuels, the opinions expressed by each author are those of the author alone and may not be shared by Shell Canada Limited or its affiliates.

FEEL THE POWER OF THE V. Shell V-Power is our best, most advanced gasoline designed to deliver optimum performance for the perfect drive. No other premium gasoline keeps your engine† cleaner. Visit shell.ca/vpower